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All has been quiet at ReconciliationTalk, but the problems have not gone away.

Its been five weeks since I last posted here. After a long spring and summer of activity here in Luton, and further afield around the nation, with a lot of fairly substantial posts, I guess I was tired. And more to the point I have been busy.

I wish I could say there had been nothing to post on. Fact is I regularly have a string of articles open on an ever growing number of tabs on Firefox that I am wanting to comment on. Occasionally I delete them and start over again! Specifically while Luton has been quiet, the child of Luton, the English Defence League (EDL), had been gaining a name for itself around the nation. Manchester ( Dozens arrested during protests ) and Swansea have been initiated into EDL demo's with Unite Against Fascism (UAF) protesting their presence in significantly greater numbers and arguably causing more trouble than the EDL. Numerous articles have been written about the EDL ( The English Defence League: will the flames of hatred spread? ) and BBC's Newsnight did a big piece on them (here and here ). 

The British Nationalist Party (BNP) have gained huge publicity through Nick Griffin's Question Time appearance.  Whether that was to their advantage or not is up for question. Griffin was clearly not happy with his treatment, yet the BBC on Saturday reported a strong support for him, with "22% of people questioned would "seriously consider" voting BNP." (BNP support in poll sparks anger) The Times reports today that there is much criticism within the party on his performance, along with questions as to how far the party can go with his reputation tarred by so many quotations from his "unreformed past", and that there are calls for his resignation. BNP supporters call on Nick Griffin to quit as leader

With all this I have really not yet read a serious attempt to understand the issues that are at the heart of the support for the BNP and the emergence of the EDL.  There is still far too much sterotyping, and resorting to old labels - fascism, Nazism, even racism. I have no doubt many are racists, fascists and neo-Nazis, but lets name the issue for what it is - Islamophobia. And that phenomenon is far wider than the traditional far right. 

Meanwhile more EDL events are planned for Leeds this Saturday, Edinburgh and Nottingham.  And in London Anjem Choudary and his extreme Muslim friends of al Muhajiroun, Islam4uk, or whatever plan a march to announce Shariah law for the UK. And at least three or four other groups plan to march in opposition. Richard Bartholomew has a good summary here: Four Protest Groups in London on Saturday 31 October .  We will see what happens, but even if it is small it can only bring unwelcome attention.

I plan to be quiet for a week or two longer. When I am back I will changing somewhat the style and focus of ReconciliationTalk.   Come back and visit then.

A quiet day in Luton and a mark of hope.

We were due to have another riot in Luton today. Or at least that is what the English Defence League (EDL) said a month or two ago. For once nothing happened. It feels strangely good. But is that news? Yes, but the media don't seem to be on to it nearly as quickly as they we had a riot three weeks ago. And somehow I am not sure they will tell this story.

(The history goes something like this.

Harrow & John Denham's quest to understand the EDL

The Harrow anti-Islamic demonstrations (mob, riots, whatever) were bad news for those who live there, for the nation, and especially for those of us who work in interfaith relations. Once again the English Defence League (EDL) and its partner for the day, Stop the Islamification of Europe (SIOE) did not really have to be there for the damage to have been done; the combination of a massive police presence, a Unite Against Facism (UAF) counter-demo, a lot of angry young Muslim men and the rumour of the EDL was an explosive mix.  Street fights erupt as Muslims try to defend North London mosque in The Times tells it as good as anywhere. I have ranted at what has been happening in Luton and Birmingham the past two weeks, so don't propose to say much here.

The good news as far as I can see is

Luton & Birmingham: Freedom of speech or freedom to riot?

I have just watched the riots in Birmingham unfold - on Twitter. As ever I am disheartened. We saw the same old story that we have had in Luton, as there has been before in Birmingham, as we have seen elsewhere, and as we will likely see in Harrow on Friday next week.  Protests by Islamic extremists against the war in Iraq (and alleged extreme actions of British soldiers there),  provoke protests by the EDL (English Defence League) against Islamic extremists, provoke protests against the EDL by the UAF (Unite Against Fascism) and Muslim young men. And the police are in there, doing there best to keep the sides apart, prevent the escalation of the provocations, doing a very difficult job in ever changing situations, occasionally getting it wrong in the heat of the moment, and very occasionally with officers demonstrating their own vulnerability to provocation.

Last week in Luton

Luton. Lets take time out to talk. PLEASE.

Its very hard to get down to talk about the real issues that are troubling our community when all the time the problems around are escalating. The latest bout of trouble here this weekend (see Times - Luton police quell disturbance by Asian youths and my own coverage:  Luton: Riot police break up mob and Luton troubles - the action and some first thoughts) only adds to the challenges we have been facing since anger errupted on the streets during the now infamous Royal Anglian Homecoming Parade in March this year. 

Luton troubles - the action and some first thoughts

A strange silence hung over Luton when I walked along George Street at 5pm this afternoon. Its been like that several times in recent months. Small groups of police were everywhere, and there were riot vans in good numbers. A helicopter hovering over Bury Park , the main Muslim area, broke that silence and with occasional police vans speeding in that direction, it was obviously the place I needed to be.

As I walked

Luton: Riot police break up mob

Luton was today the scene of a very heavy police presence, amidst fears that the extreme British nationalists / anti-Muslim extremists / islamophobes / Facists / English Defence league  / BNP would be demonstrating. Choose the name you will, but they had threatened us with their presence. 

While the expected trouble makers didn't show,

Dawkins wants to convert Islamic world to evolution

I am thinking this may be a bridge too far for him ...

Professor Richard Dawkins wants to convert Islamic world to evolution - Times Online.

None of Professor Dawkins’ books, on evolution as well as religion, has ever been translated into Arabic, and his work has been heavily censored in Turkey. In an interview with The Times, he said that popularising evolution in the Islamic world, where creationist beliefs are strong, was a challenge he is keen to take up. “To be a bestseller in a Muslim country would be a personal triumph,” he said.

Sharing differences & discovering common purpose and friendship during Ramadan in Luton

I just spent an hour chatting to my friend Fiaz on Radio Ramadan Luton.

It was an enjoyable time. Dr Fiaz Hussain chairs the Luton Council of Mosques, and he and I have got to know each other well as we have worked together a lot over these nine months - ever since cooperation between Jews and Muslims in Luton's Holocaust Memorial Day event (In Luton, Muslims, Jews & people of all faith commemorate Holocaust together) was threatened by events in Gaza, and then as we have sought to address community tension that emerged after the Royal Anglian Homecoming Parade on March 10th (multiple posts here ). In particular we stood together giving leadership to Christians and Muslims call for Peace in Luton.

Once again we were talking

Luton demos by EDL and associates banned by Home Secretary.

Demonstrations in Luton by the English Defence League  ( EDL ) or their associate groups, offspring of this years extreme nationalist islamophobic uprising, have been banned for the next three months by the Home Secretary.

Fears of further violence prompt march ban ( Luton news ) and Safety fears prompt marching ban  (BBC)

The Council, the Police and many residents have been petitioning the Home Secretary for a definitive ban, and yesterday